There are various types of recreational aquatic devices used to surf or ride ocean waves. Examples of such devices include surfboards, kneeboards, body boards, and wake boards. These examples are briefly discussed immediately hereinafter, so that the utility of the present invention can be better appreciated.
Wake boards are used when the user is being towed by a boat and while riding the wake created by the boat. Users sometimes employ a wake board when it is desired to launch the board and user into the air to perform tricks, such as spins, while being towed. Thus, a wake board is designed to be towed by a motorized boat using a tow rope and may require the presence of towing apparatus affixed to the wakeboard.
However, a consideration associated with wake boards is that towing apparatus may be required on the wake board and a motorized boat must be present in order to use the wake board. Scheduling and obtaining the presence of the motorized boat can be inconvenient and costly for the user. Also, the presence of towing apparatus on the wake board can increase manufacturing costs associated with the wake board. In addition, wake boards are not designed for use in ocean surf.
A full-sized surfboard is configured to be used with the surfer in a standing position and offers a choice of maneuvers, such as the “cutback” or “snap” maneuver, wherein the surfer turns the surfboard while riding a wave. Full-sized surfboards have one or more rigid or flexible fins outwardly extending from and perpendicular to the bottom surface of the surfboard for stabilizing and maintaining the surfboard's trajectory. Also, due to presence of the bottom fins, performing a 180 degree or 360 degree turn is generally performed while the rider is in the air. Full-sized surfboards can also enable paddling out to a wave, as well as wave catching.
However, a consideration associated with the use of full-sized surfboards is that due to their greater mass and presence of fins, full-sized surfboards generally create a greater risk of blunt force injury and lacerations to nearby swimmers and surfers. In addition, due to their greater mass and presence of fins, full-sized surfboards also create a greater risk of blunt force injury and lacerations to the individual riding the surfboard, if the individual falls from the surfboard and remains in the vicinity of the surfboard after falling.
The purpose of a kneeboard differs from the purpose of a full-sized surfboard. In this regard, a kneeboard is designed to be used with the surfer in a kneeling position and offers maneuverability, stability, and the ability to fit in tight sections on a wave. In contrast to a kneeboard, a full-sized surfboard is designed to be used with the surfer in a standing position and has less maneuverability, less stability, and is less able to fit in tight sections on a wave.
A body board (also referred to in the art as a “boogieboard” or a “sponge”) is configured to be used with the surfer lying in a prone position on the board. A body board offers a faster learning curve for use, is lighter than a surfboard and can, therefore, reduce risk of injury to the rider or nearby surfers and swimmers, and is more stable in the water compared to a surfboard. Body boards typically lack attached fins in order to provide maneuverability for performing surfing tricks in unusual positions, such as the “drop knee” surfing position wherein the surfer is partially kneeling on the body board with one knee near the back of the board and one foot near the front of the board. Some surfers use the drop knee surfing position to make a 360 degree turn that is commonly referred to in the art as a “360 turn”. The 360 turn is a maneuver that can be done on the flat section of a wave, in the white foam, off the lip of the wave or in the air while riding prone or drop knee riding. As previously mentioned, body boards typically lack fins in order to provide maneuverability for performing surfing tricks. However, it should be noted that surfers using body boards wear flexible swim fins on their feet, when it is desired to stabilize the trajectory of the body board. Hence, the swim fins substitute for the fins that might otherwise be attached to the bottom of the body board. Also, surfers using body boards wear swim fins on their feet to propel the body board through the water in order to paddle out to a wave or for matching the speed of a wave while surfing.
However, a consideration associated with use of a body board is that a body board can create greater risk of irritation of the user's abdomen or blunt abdominal trauma due to the user lying on his abdomen while surfing. Another consideration is the number of maneuvers one can perform are limited by the prone position of the rider or the instability of the board should the rider decide to rise from the prone position.
Attempts have been made to address the considerations mentioned hereinabove with respect to recreational aquatic devices, such as conventional kneeboards, body boards, surfboards, and wake boards. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,761 titled “Multipurpose Slide” issued Jun. 14, 1977 in the name of John Taylor relates to a slide for supporting a human passenger in the kneeling position during sports activity on water or during skiing activity on sand, snow or other suitable media.
According to the Taylor patent, a slide has knee wells with a depth approximately equal to one quarter of the thickness of the board and a foam pad affixed in the knee wells. Although the slide is primarily employed to transport a passenger in the kneeling position, it may easily be ridden in the standing position, according to the Taylor patent. If the slide is used for surfing in the standing position, a skag (i.e., fin) may be added to its bottom. This patent also states that the slide is referred to as a multipurpose slide rather than a surfboard, as it is used more frequently by towing behind power boats and snowmobiles than in the surf.
However, the Taylor device does not appear to disclose that the knee wells are used for any purpose other than as a resting place for the user's knees. Also, the Taylor patent does not appear to disclose a complete absence of the need for towing behind power boats and snowmobiles. In addition, the Taylor patent does not appear to disclose that the slide is exclusively for use in surf and on ocean waves.
Another attempt to address the considerations mentioned hereinabove with respect to recreational aquatic devices, such as conventional kneeboards, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,619 titled “Combination Surfboard-Kneeboard” issued Oct. 28, 1986, in the name of Lauchlin M. Muse, Jr. This patent relates to a combination surfboard-kneeboard.
According to the Muse, Jr. disclosure, the combination surfboard-kneeboard can be utilized for either surfing or knee-boarding and is designed to be machine made rather than hand-crafted. The combination surfboard-kneeboard is provided with a set of detachable fins. Certain fins can be selected and used for surfing while other fins can be selected and used for knee-boarding. Thus, the Muse, Jr. patent appears to disclose that the fin configuration for surfing can be converted to the fin configuration for knee-boarding and vise versa. Also, this patent discloses that, in conventional knee-boarding, the fins can be entirely removed when desired.
However, the Muse, Jr. patent does not appear to disclose that the board is fin-free at all times without a need for conversion. Also, the Muse, Jr. patent does not appear to disclose enhancing maneuverability of the board when used as a kneeboard, other than by conversion of fins or removal of fins. This patent does not appear to disclose enhancing maneuverability of the board by any other means. Also, this patent does not expressly disclose a pair of knee wells for accommodating the knees of the user when the board is used as a kneeboard.
Although the approaches recited hereinabove disclose various configurations of recreational aquatic devices, such as conventional kneeboards, wake boards, body boards, and full-sized surfboards, the approaches recited hereinabove do not appear to disclose the invention described and claimed hereinbelow.